Lighting fixture



Feb. 14, 1939. Av BLUMENTHAL 2,147,008

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Oct. 7, 1936' WITNESSES: v I INVENTOR W I flxwmx-[Z/amawzfia/ BY I ATTORN EY Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 7,

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a lighting fixture, more particularly one' adapted for use in connection with the proper illumination of a corpse and the surroundings, and it has for its principal object to provide a lighting fixture for this purpose which shall enable one to obtain the proper illumination of a corpse without interfering with the desired illumination of surrounding objects.

In the preparation of a deceased for display prior to interment, the use of rouge and other cosmetics is quite often resorted to, in order to give the corpse a more natural and lifelike appearance. When laid out, however, for display purposes, it is customary among some people to "place at each end of the casket, a torchier, and to locate at other suitable points around the room, additional lighting fixtures, all of which have for their purpose to illuminate the deceased and to provide a subdued light throughout the room. To obtain such subdued light, it is the practice to filter the light through filters of colored translucent material.

When the particular filter employed yields a light of such wave length characteristics as to lend a lifelike appearance to the deceased, it is found that this same color shade, when reflected from the casket lining and surrounding objects does not reproduce them in their true colors. On the other hand,'the natural or lifelike appearance of the deceased is impaired when the illumination is of such a character as to provide the proper color response from the casket lining and surrounding objects.

'In accordance with the general purpose of my invention,- I provide a lighting fixture adapted to produce general illumination of a subdued light of the proper shade or wave length characteristics and utilizing the same source of light, I provide a means for obtaining a spot light effect which is capable of providing a beam of light of a color or of wave length characteristics differing from that of the general illumination. The fixture is "so constructed that the beam effect can be directed upon the face of the corpse and its immediate surroundings, and its color or wave length characteristics may be varied so that the light reflected from the face of the deceased will bring out the proper color texture desired and thus result in a more lifelike appearance of the deceased, without interfering with the general subdued lighting effect throughout the room. The intensity of the beam of light need not be great. In fact, it may also be of a subdued character, somewhat of the same order of intensity as the general illumination. When the intensity of 1936, Serial No. 104,363

both the general illumination and the beam illumination do not difier greatly, the demarkation between the light beam and the general illumination can hardly be noticeable, even where the light strikes a material object. Nevertheless, the *5 desired result of obtaining a more lifelike appearance of the deceased will follow from the application of the lighting efiect described.

A more detailed description of my invention may be had in conjunction with the accom- "10 panying drawing, wherein Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of my invention in the form of a torchier placed at the head end of a casket,

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional View taken "15 through a portion of the lighting fixture of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 illustrates details of means for supporting and holding various color filters from which one may select the proper one to better match the color effect desired through the use of the light beam.

Referring to thedrawing, I have disclosed a lighting fixture embodying my invention, this fixture being in the form of a torchier which, ac-

cording to its intended use, will be placed one at each end of a casket I, the casket being mounted on any suitable support or stand 2. The fixture disclosed by me comprises a suitable base 3 and upright 4 on which may be mounted a socket or equivalent light holder 5 which is adapted to take an electric light or other light source 1. This source of light is supported within a housing which, in the specific embodiment disclosed by me, comprises a plurality of louvres 9 superimposed one above the other in spaced relation to each other, to permit of the exit of light from between the louvres by reflection from their under surfaces and the exposed surfaces of these elements. The light will thus become diffused, pro- '4 V viding general illumination of a softened character, there being no direct view of the light source. The upper exposed portion of the housing may be open to the ceiling to afford further indirect, illumination due to reflection of light from the "i5 ceiling. If desired, a color filter of glass or similar material of selectable colors may be placed over the exposed upper portion of the housing so that the illumination due to reflection from the ceiling may take on an amber or any other de- 50 sirable hue. Would it be desired to further subdue the general illumination, that much of the illumination obtained by reflection from the ceiling may be satisfactorily cut ofi by placing a cover I I of opaque material to close the exposed up- 55 per portion of the lighting fixture. This cover may be provided with a handle or knob l3 at its center to permit of its conveniently being applied or removed as desired.

The housing in the specific embodiment disclosed by me embodies a floor or base I5, a portion of which is removed to permit 'a beam of light to issue therefrom. The opening ll thus provided is preferably so located as to be in line with the head of the corpse and the source of light, with the fixture in its proper position near the casket, and is of such dimensions that the beam of light issuing therefrom will cover just so much of the corpse as desired. In order to cut down the intensity of the light which would illuminate the corpse, and in order to obtain a reflected light from the face of the'corpse to give the desired lifelike appearance which the application of cosmetics is intended to produce, the proper one of a number of color filters is placed over the opening which has been made in the base of the housing and is held in place by means provided for the purpose. This means for holding the color filter may comprise a pair of tabs i9 located at the edge of the opening and extending upward into the housing, these tabs being spaced approximately 120 from each other. The color filter, which may be in the form of a circular disk 2! of glass of the desired color tone, is. laid upon the floor of the housing against these tabs and is maintained in pressure engagement with the tabs by means of a spring 23 mounted on the floor of the housing near the periphery of the opening at a point approximately 120 from either of the tabs. In inserting one of these color filters, the spring is withdrawn or pressed away from the edge of the opening pergeneral illumination, its wave length character istics will, therefore, be difierent. The proper filter for the purpose will vary with the amount and color shade of the cosmetics used and found necessary to bring about the appearance desired.

Where it becomes desirable to illuminate such flowers as may be placed around the casket and bring them outin their true colors, an additional opening or openings 25 may be made in the housing to provide independent light beams directed in the general direction where such flowers will 50 be placed. Through the use of proper color filters,

the natural color of the flowers will be enhanced, without any one being conscious of the presence of such light beams, since the light due to these light beams will blend at their outer edges with the general illumination.

The openings and filters in the floor of the housing are normally hidden from the direct view of the spectators or mourners by the presence of an apron 2'! depending from the floor of thehousing at the periphery thereof.

While I have described my invention-in great detail, it is apparent that various modifications and changes therein might be made without the exercise of invention and that its field of use, while particularly adapted for the purpose described, is not necessarily limited thereto. I, therefore, do not desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details disclosed nor to the use described except as may be necessitated by the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lighting fixture comprising an upright having a source of light supported thereon, means cooperating with said source of light for producing illumination of a general character, said means comprising a housing including a plurality of louvres mounted in spaced relationship to each other and leaving an opening at the top for the reception of a closure of desired character, a floor in said housing having means also cooperating with said sources of light for promitting general illumination of the surroundings,,

saidhousing having a floor which would ordinarily be visible to one viewing said object, said fioor having an opening therethrough in line with said same source of light and the position of such object to produce spotlight illumination in a downward direction on said object, a filter covering said opening for causing said spotlight illumination to be of a difierent wavelength character than said general illumination, and a shield extending outwardly from said floor for concealing said opening from view without obliterating the spotlight illumination and without obstructing the View of said object.

3. A lighting fixture for providing both general illumination, and the restricted illumination for an object below eye level comprising an upright standard having a source of light supported thereon, a housing for said source of light permitting general illumination of the surroundings, said housing having a floor which would ordinarily be visible to one viewing said object, said floor having an opening therethrough to produce spotlight illumination in a downward direction on said object, means for imparting wavelength characteristics to said spotlight illumination differing from that of said general illumination, and an apron depending outwardly away from said floor of said housing for concealing said opening from view without obstructing the view of said object.

ALEXANDER E. BLUMENTHAL.

ducing illumination in a downward direction of 

